From Ritual to Romance [Paperback]

Jessie L. Weston (Author), Robert A. Segal (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Mythos | Publication Date: April 19, 1993

Acknowledged by T. S. Eliot as crucial to understanding "The Waste Land," Jessie Weston's book has continued to attract readers interested in ancient religion, myth, and especially Arthurian legend. Weston examines the saga of the Grail, which, in many versions, begins when the wounded king of a famished land sees a procession of objects including a bleeding lance and a bejewelled cup. She maintains that all versions defy uniform applications of Celtic and Christian interpretations, and explores the legend's Gnostic roots.

Drawing from J. G. Frazer, who studied ancient nature cults that associated the physical condition of the king with the productivity of the land, Weston considers how the legend of the Grail related to fertility rites--with the lance and the cup serving as sexual symbols. She traces its origins to a Gnostic text that served as a link between ancient vegetation cults and the Celts and Christians who embellished the story. Conceiving of the Grail saga as a literary outgrowth of ancient ritual, she seeks a Gnostic Christian interpretation that unites the quest for fertility with the striving for mystical oneness with God.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

JESSIE LAIDLAY WESTON (1850-1928) was an independent scholar and folklorist who specialized in mediaeval Arthurian texts. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (April 19, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691021074
• ISBN-13: 978-0691021072
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #574,648 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Going to the Source, June 16, 2000

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Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From Ritual to Romance (Paperback)

Because Eliot's "Waste Land" is taught in virtually every British and American lit survey course, the name "Jessie Weston" and the title "From Ritual to Romance" have become familiar to perhaps millions of readers throughout the world. However, if readers hope to get beyond the "trivial pursuit" question of the source to which Eliot was indebted and to a genuine understanding of the "Fisher King" myth, they will need to read that source for themselves. Though not a quick and accessible read, the book repays the reader's patience. Not only does it help bring Eliot's poem to life but it illuminates the poetic tradition from Chaucer to Eliot and makes more meaningful the numerous adaptations of the myth in modern culture--from David Lodge's "Small World" to Robin Williams' "The Fisher King." Not for a sophomore survey course, but definitely for any upperlevel course on Eliot or Arthurian legend.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great place to start...., April 30, 2000

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"denise815" - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Ritual to Romance (Paperback)

Jessie Weston's work on the Fisher King is a great starting point for the reader interested in the possible origins of the Fisher King myth. Weston has catalogued all of the many versions of the myth, the various important elements, and proposed origins. However, since there is no way to definitively prove the origins of the Fisher King myth, the reader should proceed with extreme caution when working with Weston's book. Since the Fisher King myth is highly derived and we have no manuscripts that mention the Fisher King before Chretien, Weston's hypotheses are highly speculative. Nevertheless, this book is a great "introduction" to the many aspects of the Fisher King myth. For the student of Arthurian literature, this book is a "must read."

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This slim volume inspired many twentieth century writers, June 26, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: From Ritual to Romance (Paperback)

to produce some of their finest and most distinctive works. Weston's scholarly work first appeared almost 90years ago and is still inspiring readers. T.S. Eliot wrote footnotes referring readers of "The Waste Land" to this rare gem which puts "The Holy Grail" init's place, that of an important ritual that far preceded Christianity in the British Isles. John Steinbeck used it overtly in his only piece of historical fiction, "Cup of Gold," and others lined up in good company behind them. The story and its variants are fascinating and will inspire readers to revisit Frasier's Golden Bough. Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot, King Arthur, Guinevere, the Fisher King and many others made their appearances as layer upon layer were added and peeled away from this legend spawned by people long gone (or absorbed?) from the British Islands and regions of France where the grail is said to have been secreted. Though Weston's style is British, academic, and the length of her immaculately grammatical sentences would put Faulkner to shame, the information is riveting (and makes one wonder how modern filmmakers of the Arthurian genre managed to research their stories and miss so much good stuff...).